Hood latch



Aprii 25, 1933. I FALK 1,305555 HOOD LATCH Filed Jan. 2, 1932ZSheets-Sheet l 4 q 14 j .t a l I I I l I I I I I I l I l l l l l I l II a I I 1 lfivezzzar F. A. FALK HOOD LATCH April 25, 1933.

Filed Jan. 2, 1952 2 Sheets$heet 2 Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATESFRANK A. ran or srnoYvHiLE, IOWA, Assronoa TO CHICAGO rename & mannsaoqTUBING oo.,-or oHIeneo; ILnInoIs, A oonronn'rron oriL'I m'oIs HOOD LATCHAppl c i n file I n r 9 2- r e ia fl 8 6 My invention relates to animprovement in automobile hood latches and is particularly adaptable toemployment with multiple hinge hood closures for automobiles. One objectis the provision of such a deyice which shall include an exterior handleand interior latching means positioned within the hood closure. Anotherobjecti s the provision of a device which shall include a singleexterior handle whereby plurality of interior latching means may bemoved into and out of'secu'ring engagement with a keeper or'keepers.Other objects will appear from time to time .inithe course of thespecification and claims. I illustrate my invention more or lessdiagrammatically in the accompanying draw- 1 i i ss, w e n? Figure 1 1sa side elevation Figure 2 1s a partial nter or elevation on 29anenlarged scale;

Figure 3 isa sect on on the line 33 of Figure 2; v a i I Figure 4C is asection on the line fl-4 of Figure 2; z r I i Figure 5 is a View similarto Figure 2 with Pa ts i u l Po tio a Figure Sis a section on theline 66of Figure 5. 7 V I Like parts are indicated by like symbolsthroughoutthe specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, generally indicates a portion of theautomobile frame, A is the radiator, A is the lower hinge member, of theautomobile closure being hinged to the upper member A which is hinged tothe automobile as at A A indicates the dash or cowl. A Y i Positionedwithin said closure and spaced more or less, therewithin are the'keeperbrackets generally indicated as which include a bottom flange B .anupwardly e tending portion B and a hook portion B inclined downwardlyand outwardly toward the inner face of" the hood closure. The bracket orkeeper so formed may-be secured to'the frame by any suitable securingmeans. I illustrate the bolt B with the nut B 'Rotatably mounted uponthe inner face of the closure for rotation about a generally horizontalaxisisthe rock shaft orrod C, :1.

; illustrate it as rotatably supported 'With sleeyes or bearings Cadjacent'fthe' central portion thereof, and G adjacent. there'n dsthereof. Beyond the bearingC the ends the rod are curved asat 1G andterminatelijn portions Ctwhich extend general parallel} ism with the roditself. It will he that whereas I have shown a particularity e of crankend'for the rod C,,that Ido' not crank herein s own, although find it anefficient solution of-the'problein. The keeper pending upon the natureof the crank emayed.

In order tor and out of latching association with the in a planegenerally perpendicular to the long .axis of the rodQ; This isclear forexample from Figures 2 and 3. In order to rotate the loop, andthusrotate the rod C, I employ an exterior handle D which may be mountedonfl handleshaft D 'Held againstmoveme in r la to he ha dle D an Shaf D?is a hook shaped actuatingmember whieh includes the base portion D?securedto the-2s shaft D The assembly may be heldtogether for. examplebythe nut D in mesh witha screw threadedend portion D of the shaft DIillustrate this as an example of a means for holding the parts togetheras any other suitable means may be employed. ,fExtending outwardly fromthe-base por io Sh hook Shapedfmember D. which terminates-in anenlargement or stop portion vD It will be seen as from FigureB,- thatthe shank of the'hook D .is more or less outwardlyinclined asat DThe-base portion D is provided with'a -face D which seryes tol iirnitthe movementfof the loop Dalongothe hook alsomay be varied in form andlocation, de- 7 tate the red C in suchfashion as to move the crankmembers C C? into shank-in one .direction,?jwhile the enlargement" 2 tobe limited specifically to the particular 7 D limits it in the oppositedirection. As will be seen, for example, in Figure 6, the inclinedportion D terminates, adjacent its axis of rotation in a rectilinearportion D.

The inner face of the hook is generally curved as at D, this curvedportion engaging the inner surface D of the closed lip D, as shown inFigures 5 and 6, when the device is in unlatched position and is I beingmoved initially toward the latched position.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practicaland operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in size,shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spiritof my invention. I therefore wish my de-' scription and drawings to betaken as in a broad sense illustrative and diagrammaticrather than aslimiting me to my specific showing. The use and operation of myinvention are as folows:

Assume that the securing means are in the unlocked positionasshown forexample in Figure 5, with the actuating member or hook in Figure 5,'iftheoperator rotates the handle D in clockwise direction, he causes thecurved hook shank D to penetrate more deeply the loop D. It has inrelation to the loop a camming action, causing the loop to move upwardto rotate. This camming action'may be obtained, as herein, shown, byforming the shank D withthe generally areuate loop engaging face D thecenter of the are being eccentric to the center of rotation of the hook.Thus, its clockwise rotation draws the loop nearer and nearer the centerof rotation. The loop is preferably so proportioned that the actuatingmember seats against its upper end to hold the handle horizontal. Theflange D on the actuating member also acts as a heel or stiffener torestrain distortion or mis-alignment of the handle shaft D As the centerof rotation of the handle and cam is above the center of rotation of therod C, the loop is rotated until it reaches the upper position in whichit is shown in Figure 2. Its further rotation may be limited for exampleby its engagement with theface D". When it reaches this for example inFigures Qand 4; A reverse rotation of the handle D returns the parts tothe position in which they are shown in Figures 5 and 6, with the crankmembers C 0* snugly against the inner face of the closure A This is theposition in which they are shown in Figure 6, and an upward lift by theoperator on'the handle is effective tolift the cl'osure freely upwardly.

I claim: 7

1. For use with a latching device for the multiple hinge closure of anautomobile'hood,

a rod rotatably mounted upon the inner face 'of the closure for rotationabout a generally horizontal axis, and means for rotating said rodincluding an exterior handle mounted for rotation about an axisgenerally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rod, a' closedloop associated with said rodand held against rotation in relationthereto and an actuating member, penetratingsaid loopi,

associated with and rotatable in unison with sai'dhandle. or use with alatching device'for th multiple hinge closure of an automobile hood,

a rod rotatably mounted upon the inner face 3. For use with a latchingdevice for the multiple hinge closure of an automobile hood, a rodrotatably mounted upon the inner face of the closure for rotation abouta generally horizontal axis, and means for rotating said rod includingan exterior handle, a closed,-

loop associated with said rod andheld against rotation in relationthereto, and an actuating member, penetrating said loop, associated withand rotatable in unison with said handle.

4. For use with a latching device for the multiple hinge closure of anautomobile hood, arod rotatably mounted upon the inner face of theclosure for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, and means forrotating said rod including an exterior handle, a closedloop offsetintegral with said rod, and an operating member penetrating said loop,associated with and rotatable in unison with said handle. 7

I 5. For use with a latching device for the multiple hinge closure of anautomobile hood, a rod rotatably mounted uponthe inner face of theclosure for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, and means forrotating said I rod including an exterior handle, a loop associated withsaid rod and held against rotation in relation thereto, and an actuatingmember, penetrating said loop, associated with and rotatable in unisonwith said handle, and stophmeans at. theouter end of said i actuatingmember, adapted to prevent its withdrawal through said loop.

6. For use with a latching device for the multiple hinge closure of anautomobile hood, a rod rotatably mounted upon the inner face of theclosure for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, and means forrotating said rod including an exterior handle, a loop associated withsaid rod and held against rotation in relation thereto, and an actuatingmember, penetrating said loop, associated with and rotatable in unisonwith said handle, and stop means at the opposite ends of said actuatingmember, adapted to limit the movement of said cam member into and out ofsaid loop.

7. For use with'a latching device for the multiple hinge closure of anautomobile hood, a rod rotatably mounted upon the inner face of theclosure for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, and means forrotating said rod including an exterior handle, a closed loop offsetintegral with said rod, and an actuating member penetrating said loop,as-

' sociated with and rotatable in unison with said handle.

8. For use with latching means for the double hinged closure of anautomobile hood, a rock shaft mounted on the interior of the hood forrotation about a generally horizontal axis, and means for rotating saidshaft, including a closed loop unitarily movable with said shaft, anexterior handle, and an actuating member movable in response to movementof said handle, penetrating said closed loop.

9, For use with latching means for the double hinged closure of anautomobile hood,

a rock shaft mounted on the interior of the hood for rotation about ageneraly horizontal axis, and means for rotating said shaft, including aclosed loop unitarily movable with said shaft, an exterior handle, andan actuating hook movable in response to movement of said handle,penetrating said closed loop, said hook having a cam surface on one faceand an additional cam cam surface on another face.

Signed at Osage, county of Mitchell and State of Iowa, this 9th day ofDecember,

FRANK A. FALK.

